European Union

This article is part of the series: Politics and government of the European Union Image File history File links European_flag. ... To meet Wikipedias quality standards, this article or section may require cleanup. ...

Three pillars Pillar I: European Community Pillar II: Common Foreign and Security Policy Pillar III: Police and Judicial Cooperation Political institutions Commission President  (José Barroso) Barroso Commission Council of Ministers and European Council Presidency  (Finland) Parliament President  (Josep Borrell) MEPs Constituencies Elections 2009 2004 / by country Party groups Committees Judiciary Court of Justice List of members Court of First Instance Civil Service Tribunal Patent Tribunal Finance auditing European Court of Auditors Financial bodies European Central Bank European Investment Bank European Investment Fund Advisory bodies Economic and Social Committee Committee of the Regions Decentralised bodies Agencies of the EU Law Acquis communautaire Procedure Treaties Regulations · Directives · Decisions Recommendations · Opinions EU-related topics Economic and monetary union Enlargement Foreign relations Pan-European political parties Table of affiliated parties by country Party affiliations on the Council

Other countries • Politics Portal view • talk • edit

Sign in the entrance of the European Parliament building in Brussels, written in all the official languages used in the European Union as of July 2006

The European Parliament building in Strasbourg

The inside of the Strasbourg building

The European Parliament building in Brussels

The European Parliament (formerly European Parliamentary Assembly) is the parliamentary body of the European Union (EU), directly elected by EU citizens once every five years. Together with the Council of Ministers, it composes the legislative branch of the institutions of the Union. It meets in two locations: Strasbourg and Brussels. The Treaty of Maastricht which established the European Union, divided EU policies into three main areas, called pillars. ... The European Community (EC), most important of three European Communities, was originally founded on March 25, 1957 by the signing of the Treaty of Rome under the name of European Economic Community. ... The Common Foreign and Security Policy or CFSP, german Gemeinsame Außen- und Sicherheitspolitik (GASP), was established as the second of the three pillars of the European Union in the Maastricht treaty of 1992, and further defined and broadened in the Amsterdam Treaty of 1997. ... Police and Judicial Co-operation in Criminal Matters is the third of the three pillars of the European Union, focusing on co-operation in law enforcement and combating racism. ... The European Commission (formally the Commission of the European Communities) is the executive body of the European Union. ... François-Xavier Ortoli, Romano Prodi, José Manuel Barroso and Jacques Delors The President of the European Commission is notionally the highest ranking unelected official within the European Union bureaucracy. ... This article needs to be updated. ... The Barroso Commission is the European Commission that has been in office since 22 November 2004 and is due to serve until 31 October 2009. ... The Council of the European Union forms, along with the European Parliament, the legislative arm of the European Union (EU). ... The European Council, informally called the European summit, is a meeting of the heads of state or government of the European Union, and the President of the European Commission. ... Presidency of the Council of the European Union refers to the responsibility of presiding over all aspects of the Council of the European Union, when exercised collectively by a government, on a pre-established rota of the member states, of the European Union. ... The President of the European Parliament oversees all the activities of the European Parliament and its constituent bodies. ... Josep Borrell Josep Borrell Fontelles (born April 24, 1947) is a Spanish politician. ... A Member of the European Parliament (English abbreviation MEP)[1] is a member of the European Unions directly-elected legislative body, the European Parliament. ... In five European Union Member States (Belgium, France, Ireland, Italy and the United Kingdom), the national territory is divided into a number of constituencies for European elections. ... Elections in the European Union gives information on election and election results in the European Union. ... Elections to the European Parliament will be held in June 2006 in the then–27 member states of the European Union, using varying election days according to local custom. ... Elections to the European Parliament were held from June 10, 2004 to June 13, 2004 in the 25 member states of the European Union, using varying election days according to local custom. ... Party groups in the European Parliament combine the MEPs from European political parties, informal European political blocs, and independents. ... The Standing Committees of the European Parliament are designed to aid the European Commission in initiating legislation. ... The European Court of Justice (ECJ) is formally known as the Court of Justice of the European Communities, i. ... As of August 17, 2006: Categories: | | | ... The Court of First Instance, created in 1989, is a court of the European Union. ... European Union Civil Service Tribunal, since December 2, 2005 a new specialised tribunal within the European Union institutional framework. ... The European Court of Auditors is one of five institutions of the European Union. ... The ECB building in Frankfurt The European Central Bank (ECB) (French: Banque Centrale Européenne, German: Europäische Zentralbank, Greek: Ευρωπαϊκή Κεντρική Τράπεζα) is one of the worlds largest central banks, being in charge of monetary policy for the European Unions official currency, the euro, which is used by over 300... The European Investment Bank (the Banque Européenne dInvestissement) is the European Unions financing institution and was established under the Treaty of Rome (1957) to provide loan finance for capital investment furthering European Union policy objectives, in particular regional development, Trans-European Networks of transport, telecommunications and energy... The European Investment Fund, established in 1994, is a European Union agency for the provision of finance to SMEs (small and medium-sized enterprises). ... The European Unions Economic and Social Committee is the consultative assembly of European social and economic partners. This phrase refers mainly to representatives of business, employers and trade unions. ... The Committee of the Regions (CoR) is an institution of the European Union created by the Treaty of Maastricht. ... The agencies of the European Union (or decentralised bodies of the European Union) are bodies which are distinct from the European Unions institutions, in that they have not been created by the treaties but rather by acts of secondary legislation, in order to accomplish a very specific task. ... The European Union is unique among international organisations in having a complex and highly developed system of internal law which has direct effect within the legal systems of its member states. ... The French term acquis (or sometimes acquis communautaire) is used in European Union law to refer to the total body of EU law accumulated so far. ... The European Union legislative procedure describes the way the European Union creates and enacts legislation across the community. ... The treaties of the European Union are effectively its constitutional law, making up the EUs primary legislation. ... A directive is a legislative act of the European Union which requires member states to achieve a particular result without dictating the means of achieving that result. ... A European Union decision (defined in Article 249/EC) is one of the three binding instruments provide by secondary EU legislation. ... In European Union Law a recommendation Differs from regulations, directives and decisions, in that they are not binding for Member States. ... // Origins of the EU History of the European Union European Coal and Steel Community (ECSC) Euratom Single market. ... In economics, a monetary union is a situation where several countries have agreed to share a single currency among them. ... The European Union (EU) was originally created by six founding states in 1958 (following the earlier establishment by the same six states of the European Coal and Steel Community in 1952), but has grown to its current size of 25 member states. ... Foreign relations of the European Union Foreign relations of Austria Foreign relations of Belgium Foreign relations of Cyprus Foreign relations of the Czech Republic Foreign relations of Denmark Foreign relations of Estonia Foreign relations of Finland Foreign relations of France Foreign relations of Germany Foreign relations of Greece Foreign relations... A European political party, formally a political party at European level, sometimes informally (especially in academic circles) a Europarty, is a type of political party organization operating transnationally in Europe. ... The majority of major political parties in Europe have aligned themselves into the pan-European political organisations listed below. ... The member-states of the European Union by the European party affiliations of their leaders, as of April, 2006. ... Information on politics by country is available for every country, including both de jure and de facto independent states, inhabited dependent territories, as well as areas of special sovereignty. ... An official language is a language that is given a privileged legal status in a state, or other legally-defined territory. ... Image File history File links Download high resolution version (1500x750, 684 KB) Description: European Parliament Photo was taken using the following technique: Film: Fuji Velvia Lens: 2. ... Image File history File links Download high resolution version (1500x750, 684 KB) Description: European Parliament Photo was taken using the following technique: Film: Fuji Velvia Lens: 2. ... Image File history File linksMetadata European-parliament-strasbourg-inside. ... Image File history File linksMetadata European-parliament-strasbourg-inside. ... Free image from http://www. ... Free image from http://www. ... States currently utilizing parliamentary systems are denoted in orange and red—the former being constitutional monarchies where authority is vested in a parliament, and the latter being parliamentary republics whose parliaments are effectively supreme over a separate head of state. ... Direct election is a term describing a system of choosing political officeholders in which the voters directly cast ballots for the person, persons or political party that they desire to see elected. ... The Maastricht Treaty introduced the concept of citizenship of the European Union. ... The Council of the European Union forms, along with the European Parliament, the legislative arm of the European Union (EU). ... A legislature is a type of representative deliberative assembly with the power to adopt laws. ... City flag City coat of arms Coordinates : , Time Zone : CET (GMT +1) Administration Département Bas-Rhin (67) Région Alsace Mayor Fabienne Keller (UMP) (since 2001) Intercommunality Urban Community of Strasbourg City (commune) Characteristics Land Area 78. ... Nickname: The Capital Of Europe, Comic City City of a 100 Museums Map showing the location of Brussels in Belgium Coordinates: Country Belgium Region Brussels-Capital Region Founded 797 Founded (Region) June 18, 1989 Mayor (Municipality) Freddy Thielemans Area    - City 162 (Region) km²  (62. ...

The European Parliament has restricted legislative power. It cannot initiate legislation, but it can amend or veto it in many policy areas. In certain other policy areas, it has the right only to be consulted. Parliament also supervises the European Commission; it must approve all appointments to it, and can dismiss it with a vote of censure. It also has the right to control the EU budget. The word veto comes from Latin and literally means I forbid. ... The European Commission (formally the Commission of the European Communities) is the executive body of the European Union. ...

Other organisations of European countries, such as the OSCE, the Council of Europe, and the Western European Union, have parliamentary assemblies as well, but the members of these assemblies are appointed by national parliaments as opposed to direct election. World map showing Europe Political map (neighboring countries in Asia and Africa also shown) Europe is one of the seven traditional continents of the Earth. ... The Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE) is an international organization for security. ... The Palace of Europe in Strasbourg European Flag: used by the Council of Europe and by the European Union The Council of Europe (French: Conseil de lEurope , German: Europarat /ˌɔɪ.ˈro. ... Membership 10 member states 6 associate member states 5 observer countries 7 associate partner countries Formation - Signed Treaty of Brussels - 17 March 1948 The Western European Union (WEU) is a partially dormant European defence and security organization, established on the basis of the Treaty of Brussels of 1948 with the... Appointment may refer to a number of things, including the following: An appointment is a time reserved for something such as a doctor visit, much like a reservation. ...

Composition

The European Parliament represents around 450 million citizens of the European Union. Its members are known as Members of the European Parliament (MEPs). Since 13 June 2004, there have been 732 MEPs. (It was agreed that the maximum number of MEPs should be fixed at 750, with a minimum threshold of five per member state and no member state being allocated more than 99 seats.) Elections occur once in every five years, on the basis of universal adult suffrage. There is not a uniform voting system for the election of MEPs; rather, each member state is free to choose its own system subject to three restrictions¹: A Member of the European Parliament (English abbreviation MEP)[1] is a member of the European Unions directly-elected legislative body, the European Parliament. ... June 13 is the 164th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar (165th in leap years), with 201 days remaining. ... 2004 (MMIV) was a leap year starting on Thursday of the Gregorian calendar. ... Universal suffrage (also general suffrage or common suffrage) consists of the extension of suffrage to all adults, without distinction as to race, sex, belief, or social status. ... A voting system is a process that allows a group of individuals to choose between a number of options, and determines the preferred or winning option based on the number of votes each option receives. ...

• The system must be a form of proportional representation, under either the party list or Single Transferable Vote system.
• The electoral area may be subdivided if this will not generally affect the proportional nature of the voting system.
• Any election threshold on the national level must not exceed five percent.

The allocation of seats to each member state is based on the principle of degressive proportionality, so that, while the size of the population of each country is taken into account, smaller states elect more MEPs than would be strictly justified by their populations alone. As the number of MEPs granted to each country has arisen from treaty negotiations, there is no precise formula for the apportionment of seats among member states. No change in this configuration can occur without the unanimous consent of all governments. Proportional representation (sometimes referred to as full representation, or PR), is an electoral system delivering a close match between the percentage of votes that the political parties obtain in elections and the percentage of seats they receive in legislative assemblies. ... Party-list proportional representation systems are a family of voting systems used in multiple-winner elections (e. ... This STV ballot for the Australian Senate illustrates group voting tickets. ... In party-list proportional representation systems, an election threshold is a clause that stipulates that a party must receive a minimum percentage of votes, either nationally or within a particular district, to get any seats in the parliament. ...

The most recent elections to the European Parliament were the European elections of 2004, held in June of that year. These elections were the largest simultaneous transnational elections ever held anywhere in the world, since nearly 400 million citizens were eligible to vote.
Elections to the European Parliament were held from June 10, 2004 to June 13, 2004 in the 25 member states of the European Union, using varying election days according to local custom. ...

Apportionment
Member state	Seats		Member state	Seats
Germany	99		Denmark	14
France	78		Finland	14
Italy	78		Slovakia	14
United Kingdom1	78		Ireland	13
Spain	54		Lithuania	13
Poland	54		Latvia	9
Netherlands	27		Slovenia	7
Belgium	24		Cyprus	6
Czech Republic	24		Estonia	6
Greece	24		Luxembourg	6
Hungary	24		Malta	5
Portugal	24		Observers	Seats
Sweden	19		Romania	35
Austria	18		Bulgaria	18

1. Includes Gibraltar, but not any other BOT, SBA or Crown dependency Apportionment, or reapportionment, is the process of determining representation in politics within a legislative body by creating constituencies. ... Image File history File links Flag_of_Germany. ... Image File history File links Flag_of_Denmark. ... Image File history File links Flag_of_France. ... Image File history File links Flag_of_Finland_(bordered). ... Image File history File links Flag_of_Italy. ... Image File history File links Flag_of_Slovakia_(bordered). ... Image File history File links Flag_of_the_United_Kingdom. ... Image File history File links Flag_of_Ireland. ... Image File history File links Flag_of_Spain. ... Image File history File links Flag_of_Lithuania. ... Image File history File links Flag_of_Poland_(bordered). ... Image File history File links Flag_of_Latvia. ... Image File history File links Flag_of_the_Netherlands. ... Image File history File links Flag_of_Slovenia_(bordered). ... Image File history File links Flag_of_Belgium_(civil). ... Image File history File links Flag_of_Cyprus_(bordered). ... Image File history File links Flag_of_the_Czech_Republic_(bordered). ... Image File history File links Flag_of_Estonia_(bordered). ... Image File history File links Flag_of_Greece. ... Image File history File links Flag_of_Luxembourg. ... Image File history File links Flag_of_Hungary. ... Image File history File links Flag_of_Malta_(bordered). ... Image File history File links Flag_of_Portugal. ... Image File history File links Flag_of_Sweden. ... Image File history File links Flag_of_Romania. ... Image File history File links Flag_of_Austria. ... Image File history File links Flag_of_Bulgaria_(bordered). ... Location of the British overseas territories (British Antarctic Territory and Sovereign Base Areas of Cyprus not shown) A British overseas territory is one of 14 (as of 2006) territories which are not part of the United Kingdom but come under its sovereignty. ... The UK Sovereign Base Areas are those British military base areas located in countries formerly ruled by the United Kingdom which were retained by it and not handed over when those countries attained independence. ... Crown dependencies are possessions of the British Crown, as opposed to overseas territories or colonies of the United Kingdom. ...

Observers

It is conventional for countries acceding to the European Union to send a number of observers to Parliament in advance. The number of observers and their method of appointment (usually by national parliaments) is laid down in the joining countries' Treaties of Accession.

Observers may attend debates and take part by invitation, but they may not vote or exercise other official duties. When the countries then become full member states, these observers become full MEPs for the interim period between accession and the next European elections.

In this way, the agreed maximum of 750 parliamentary seats may temporarily be exceeded. For instance, in 2004, the number of seats in the European Parliament was temporarily raised to 788 to accommodate representatives from the ten states that joined the EU on 1 May, but it was subsequently reduced to 732 following the elections in June. May 1 is the 121st day of the year in the Gregorian calendar (122nd in leap years). ...

Since 26 September 2005, Bulgaria has 18 observers in Parliament and Romania has 35. These are selected from government and opposition parties as agreed by the countries' national parliaments. In 2007 these observers will become MEPs, but their number is expected to decrease when the number of seats assigned to each country is reassessed, according to the Treaty of Nice. September 26 is the 269th day of the year (270th in leap years) in the Gregorian Calendar, with 96 days remaining. ... 2005 (MMV) was a common year starting on Saturday of the Gregorian calendar. ... 2007 (MMVII) will be a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar. ... Treaty of Nice The Treaty of Nice is a treaty adopted in Nice by the European Council to amend the two founding treaties of the European Union: the Treaty on European Union, or Maastricht Treaty, which introduced the Euro and the 3-pillar structure of the EU; the Treaty of...

Constituencies

Main article: European Parliament constituency

In five European Union Member States (Belgium, France, Ireland, Italy and the United Kingdom), the national territory is divided into a number of constituencies for European elections. ...

Powers and functions

Main article: European Union legislative procedure

The debating chamber, the 'hemicycle' of the European Parliament in Brussels. Translation booths are on the front-side walls.

In some respects, the European Parliament and the Council of Ministers resemble the upper and lower houses of a bicameral legislature. Neither the European Parliament nor the Council of Ministers may initiate EU legislation, this power being reserved by the Commission, and the fact that the European Parliament cannot itself propose laws makes it different from most national legislative assemblies. The European Union legislative procedure describes the way the European Union creates and enacts legislation across the community. ... In government, bicameralism is the practice of having two legislative or parliamentary chambers. ... The European Commission (formally the Commission of the European Communities) is the executive body of the European Union. ...

However, once a proposal for an EU law or directive has been introduced by the Commission, it must usually receive the approval of both Parliament and Council in order to come into force. Parliament may amend and block legislation in those policy areas that fall under the codecision procedure, which currently make up about three-quarters of EU legislative acts. Remaining policy areas fall under either the assent procedure or (in a very few cases) the consultation procedure; under the former Parliament has power to veto but not formally amend proposals, while under the latter it has only a formal right to be consulted. The European Parliament controls the EU budget, which must be approved by the Council in order to become law. The European Union is unique among international organisations in having a complex and highly developed system of internal law which has direct effect within the legal systems of its member states. ... A directive is a legislative act of the European Union which requires member states to achieve a particular result without dictating the means of achieving that result. ... The codecision procedure is the main legislative procedure by which law can be adopted in the European Community, the first of the three pillars of the European Union. ... The assent procedure is one of the legislative procedures of the European Community, the 1st of the Three pillars of the European Union. ... The Consultation procedure is one of the legislative procedures of the European Community, the 1st of the three pillars of the European Union. ... The Council of the European Union forms, along with the European Parliament, the legislative arm of the European Union (EU). ...

The President of the European Commission is chosen by the European Council, but must be approved by Parliament before she or he can assume office. The remaining members of the Commission are then appointed by the President, subject to approval of Parliament. Other than its president, members of the Commission are not confirmed by the European Parliament individually; rather, Parliament must either accept or reject the whole Commission en bloc. François-Xavier Ortoli, Romano Prodi, José Manuel Barroso and Jacques Delors The President of the European Commission is notionally the highest ranking unelected official within the European Union bureaucracy. ... The European Council, informally called the European summit, is a meeting of the heads of state or government of the European Union, and the President of the European Commission. ...

The European Parliament exerts a function of democratic supervision over all of the EU's activities, particularly those of the Commission. In the event that Parliament adopts a motion of censure, the entire Commission must resign (formally, Commissioners cannot be censored individually). However, a motion of censure must be approved by at least a two-thirds majority in order to have effect.

Parliament also appoints the European Ombudsman. The European Ombudsman (or sometimes Euro-Ombudsman) is an ombudsman for the European Union. ...

Under the proposed new Constitution for Europe, Parliament's powers would be enhanced, with almost all policy areas coming under co-decision, greater powers of democratic scrutiny for Parliament, and control over the whole EU budget. The constitutional treaty as signed in Rome on 29 October 2004 by representatives of the EU member states The Treaty establishing a Constitution for Europe (TCE), commonly referred to as the European Constitution, is an international treaty intended to create a constitution for the European Union. ...

Location

The European Parliament tower in Strasbourg

Although Brussels is generally treated as the 'capital' of the European Union, and the two institutions of the EU's executive, the European Commission and the Council of Ministers, both have their seats there, a protocol attached to the Treaty of Amsterdam requires that the European Parliament have monthly sessions in Strasbourg. Thus the European Parliament is sometimes informally referred to as the 'Strasbourg Parliament' and Strasbourg as the democratic (opposed to bureaucratic) capital of Europe. For practical reasons, however, preparatory legislative work and committee meetings take place in Brussels. Moreover, the European Parliament's secretariat (administration), which employs the majority of its staff, is located in Luxembourg, which itself used to host plenary sessions of the parliament. Download high resolution version (904x630, 150 KB)European Parliament tower in Strasbourg, France. ... Download high resolution version (904x630, 150 KB)European Parliament tower in Strasbourg, France. ... In politics, a capital (also called capital city or political capital — although the latter phrase has an alternative meaning based on an alternative sense of capital) is the principal city or town associated with its government. ... The European Commission (formally the Commission of the European Communities) is the executive body of the European Union. ... The Council of the European Union forms, along with the European Parliament, the legislative arm of the European Union (EU). ... The Amsterdam Treaty (in full: Treaty of Amsterdam amending the Treaty of the European Union, the Treaties establishing the European Communities and certain related acts) which was signed on October 2, 1997, and entered into force on May 1, 1999, made substantial changes to the Treaty on European Union which... City flag City coat of arms Coordinates : , Time Zone : CET (GMT +1) Administration Département Bas-Rhin (67) Région Alsace Mayor Fabienne Keller (UMP) (since 2001) Intercommunality Urban Community of Strasbourg City (commune) Characteristics Land Area 78. ... The secretariat of the European Parliament is the administrative body of the European Parliament. ...

Parliament only spends four days of each month in Strasbourg in order to take its final, plenary votes. Additional plenary meetings are held in Brussels. On several occasions, the European Parliament has expressed a wish to be granted the right to choose for itself the location of its seat, and eliminate the two-seat system, but in the successive treaties, EU member state governments have continued to reserve this right for themselves. While they did abandon the third seat of Parliament, Luxembourg, two decades ago, the rival demands of Belgium (Brussels) and France (Strasbourg) to base parliament in their state has prevented a final agreement as to which city would become the sole seat of parliament.

Moving various files and equipment between the two cities takes 10 large trucks and the costs for two locations are estimated at € 200 million a year. A force of 30 men loads the trucks for the 400 km journey between the two locations. Around 5,000 people attached to the European Parliament, such as parliamentarians, advisors, clerks and journalists, also move between Brussels and Strasbourg. Most of the parliamentarians are against using Strasbourg and various initiatives have been taken over the years to have Brussels as the sole location. The latest of these initiatives is a EU wide online petition which can be signed on oneseat.eu. ISO 4217 Code EUR User(s) European Union; Austria, Belgium, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Ireland, Italy, Luxembourg, Netherlands, Portugal, Spain, Andorra, Monaco, San Marino, Vatican City, Montenegro, Kosovo, French Guiana, Réunion, Saint-Pierre et Miquelon, Guadeloupe, Martinique, Mayotte. ... oneseat. ...

Organisation

The European Parliament has a number of governing bodies and committees, and a number of delegations from external bodies.

The main offices and governing bodies are:

• President - duties
• Vice-Presidents - duties
• Bureau - duties
• Conference of Presidents - duties
• Quaestors - duties
• Conference of Committee Chairmen - description
• Conference of Delegation Chairmen - description
• Political Groups [1]

The President of the European Parliament oversees all the activities of the European Parliament and its constituent bodies. ... Five Quaestors in the European Parliament look after the interests of Members of the European Parliament. ...

List of committees

Internal affairs

• BUDG - Committee on Budgets
• CONT - Committee on Budgetary Control
• ECON - Committee on Economic and Monetary Affairs
• EMPL - Committee on Employment and Social Affairs
• ENVI - Committee on the Environment, Public Health and Food Safety
• ITRE - Committee on Industry, Research and Energy
• IMCO - Committee on the Internal Market and Consumer Protection
• TRAN - Committee on Transport and Tourism
• REGI - Committee on Regional Development
• AGRI - Committee on Agriculture and Rural Development
• PECH - Committee on Fisheries
• CULT - Committee on Culture and Education
• JURI - Committee on Legal Affairs
• LIBE - Committee on Civil Liberties, Justice and Home Affairs
• AFCO - Committee on Constitutional Affairs
• FEMM - Committee on Women's Rights and Gender Equality
• PETI - Committee on Petitions

External affairs The Committee on Budgets (BUDG) is a committee within the European Parliament. ... The Committee on Budgetary Control (CONT) is a committee of the European Parliament Categories: European Union stubs | Committees of the European Parliament ... The Committee on Economic and Monetary Affairs (ECON) is a committee of the European Parliament. ... The Committee on Employment and Social Affairs (EMPL) is a committee of the European Parliament Categories: European Union stubs | Committees of the European Parliament ... The Committee on the Environment, Public Health and Food Safety (ENVI) is a committee within the European Parliament. ... The Committee on Industry, Research and Energy (ITRE) is a committee of the European Parliament. ... The Committee on the Internal Market and Consumer Protection (IMCO) is a committee of the European Parliament. ... The Committee on Transport and Tourism (TRAN) is a committee within the European Parliament. ... The Committee on Regional Development (REGI) is a committee within the European Parliament. ... The Committee on Agriculture and Rural Development (AGRI) is a committee of the European Parliament Categories: European Union-related stubs | Committees of the European Parliament ... The Committee on Fisheries (PECH) is a committee of the European Parliament Categories: European Union-related stubs | Committees of the European Parliament ... [[]]See Cult (disambiguation) if this is not what you were looking for. ... The Committee on Legal Affairs of the European Parliament is preparing many crucial decisions of the Europen Parliament. ... The Committee on Civil Liberties, Justice and Home Affairs (LIBE) is a standing committee of the European Parliament. ... The Committee on Constitutional Affairs (AFCO) is a committee of the European Parliament. ... The Committee on Womens Rights and Gender Equality (FEMM) is a committee of the European Parliament. ... The Committee on Petitions (PETI) is a committee of the European Parliament. ...

• AFET - Committee on Foreign Affairs
  • DROI - Subcommittee on Human Rights
  • SEDE - Subcommittee on Security and Defence
• DEVE - Committee on Development
• INTA - Committee on International Trade

Committee on Foreign Affairs is a title used by several governments to refer to committees on/of foreign affairs, foreign relations, or international relations. ... The Subcommittee on Human Rights (DROI) is a subcommittee of the Committee on Foreign Affairs of the European Parliament. ... The Subcommittee on Security and Defence (SEDE) is a subcommittee of the Committee on Foreign Affairs of the European Parliament Categories: European Union-related stubs | Committee on Foreign Affairs (EU) ... The Committee on Development (Commission du développement, DEVE) is a standing committee of the European Parliament responsible for promoting, implementing and monitoring the development and cooperation policy of the European Union, notably talks with developing countries; aid to developing countries; and promotion of democratic values, good governance and human... The Committee on International Trade (INTA) is a committee of the European Parliament Categories: European Union-related stubs | Committees of the European Parliament ...

Political groups and parties

Main article: European Parliament party group

The EP groups as of April 8, 2006

The political parties in the European Parliament are organised into a number of political groupings as well as a number of registered European political parties. However most continue to be members of separate national political parties and discipline within European parties and groupings is not rigid. The makeup of the parliament's groups is fluid, and both national delegations and individual MEPs are free to switch allegiances as they see fit. Party groups in the European Parliament combine the MEPs from European political parties, informal European political blocs, and independents. ... Composition of the European Parliament as of November 14, 2004 (6th term). ...

European Parliament party groups are distinct from the corresponding European political parties, although they are intimately linked. Usually, the European parties also have member parties from European countries which are not members of the European Union. At the start of Parliament's sixth term in 2004 there were seven groups, as well as a number of non-aligned members, known as non-inscrits. A European political party, formally a political party at European level, sometimes informally (especially in academic circles) a Europarty, is a type of political party organization operating transnationally in Europe. ... Non-Inscrits (English: Non-Attached; the English name is also official, but the French name is prevalent even in English texts) are Members of the European Parliament who do not sit in one of the political groups. ...

European Parliament seats by political groups, from 1979 to 2004

As of 8 April 2006 the composition of the European Parliament is: Image File history File links Download high resolution version (982x608, 64 KB) European Parliament Seats 1979-2004 Lizenz: Public Domain from de:Bild:Ep1979-2004. ... Image File history File links Download high resolution version (982x608, 64 KB) European Parliament Seats 1979-2004 Lizenz: Public Domain from de:Bild:Ep1979-2004. ... April 8 is the 98th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar (99th in leap years). ... 2006 (MMVI) is a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ...

The European Peoples Party (Christian Democrats) and European Democrats is a group in the European Parliament. ... The European Peoples Party (EPP) is the largest European political party. ... For other uses, see European Democrats (disambiguation). ... The Party of European Socialists (PES) (French: Parti socialiste européen (PSE); German: Sozialdemokratische Partei Europas (SPE); Spanish: Partido socialista europeo (PSE); Italian: Partito socialista europeo (PSE)) is a European political party whose members are 30 social democratic, socialist and labour parties of the European Union member states as well... The Party of European Socialists (PES) (French: Parti socialiste européen (PSE); German: Sozialdemokratische Partei Europas (SPE); Spanish: Partido socialista europeo (PSE); Italian: Partito socialista europeo (PSE)) is a European political party whose members are 30 social democratic, socialist and labour parties of the European Union member states as well... ALDE logo The Alliance of Liberals and Democrats for Europe (French: Alliance des Démocrates et des Libéraux pour lEurope) is a Group in the European Parliament. ... The European Liberal Democrat and Reform Party (founded in 1993) is a liberal party, active in the European Union, uniting liberal and centrist parties around Europe which together represent more than 20 million European voters and is an international non-profit association incorporated under the laws of Belgium. ... For the eurosceptic informal grouping, see European Democrats. ... Logo of the European Federation of Green Parties - EFA The European Greens – European Free Alliance (The Greens - European Free Alliance; Greens - EFA; French: Le Groupe Verts - Alliance libre européenne; Les Verts - ALE, German Fraktion der Grünen/Freie Europäische Allianz) is one of the parliamentary groups in the... European Greens (or the European Green Party) is the name of the European Green Party, a political party at European level. ... The European Free Alliance (EFA) is a grouping of various political parties in Europe who believe in either full political independence (statehood), or some form of devolution or self-government for their country or region. ... GUE-NGL logo The European United Left–Nordic Green Left is a socialist and communist political grouping within the European Parliament. ... The European Left party is a political party at European level and an association of socialist and communist political parties in the European Union. ... The Nordic Green Left Alliance (NGLA) is a green and socialist political party at the European level founded in Reykjavík on February 1, 2004. ... UEN logo The Union for Europe of the Nations is a nationalist and (mostly) euro-sceptic party grouping with seats in the European Parliament. ... The Alliance for Europe of the Nations is a pan-European political party that gathers nationalist parties from across the continent. ... IND/DEM logo The Independence and Democracy (IND/DEM) group, formed July 20, 2004 is a euro-sceptic political group with 36 MEPs in the European Parliament. ... The Alliance of Independent Democrats in Europe (most commonly represented in French, as Alliance des Démocrates Indépendants en Europe) is an apparent European political party, whose existence is claimed by both itself and by the EUDemocrats[1]. Little, however, is known about the composition of the ADIE or... EUDemocrats (EUD) is an alliance of parties, movements and political organisations operating as a transnational Party at a European level (European political party), and incorporating members from both the centre-left and the centre-right. ... Non-Inscrits (English: Non-Attached; the English name is also official, but the French name is prevalent even in English texts) are Members of the European Parliament who do not sit in one of the political groups. ...

History

Entrance to the European Parliament in Brussels

The European Coal and Steel Community (ECSC) established a 'Common Assembly' in September 1952, its 78 members drawn from the six national Parliaments of the ECSC's constituent nations. This was expanded in March 1958 to also cover the European Economic Community and Euratom, and the name European Parliamentary Assembly was adopted. The body was renamed to the European Parliament in 1962. In 1979 the parliament's membership was expanded again and its members began to be directly elected for the first time. Thereafter the membership of the European Parliament has simply expanded whenever new nations have joined; the membership was adjusted upwards in 1994 after German reunification. Recent treaties, including the Treaty of Nice and the proposed Treaty establishing a Constitution for Europe, set a cap on membership at 750. Members of the European Coal and Steel Community The European Coal and Steel Community (ECSC) was founded in 1951 (Treaty of Paris), by France, West Germany, Italy, Belgium, Luxembourg and the Netherlands to pool the steel and coal resources of its member-states. ... 1952 (MCMLII) was a Leap year starting on Tuesday (link will take you to calendar). ... 1958 (MCMLVIII) was a common year starting on Wednesday of the Gregorian calendar. ... The European Community (EC), most important of three European Communities, was originally founded on March 25, 1957 by the signing of the Treaty of Rome under the name of European Economic Community. ... The European Atomic Energy Community, or EURATOM, is an international organisation composed of the members of the European Union. ... 1962 (MCMLXII) was a common year starting on Monday (the link is to a full 1962 calendar). ... This page refers to the year 1979. ... 1994 (MCMXCIV) was a common year starting on Saturday of the Gregorian calendar, and was designated as the International Year of the Family and the International Year of the Sport and the Olympic Ideal by United Nations. ... The Federal Republic of Germany (West Germany) and the German Democratic Republic (East Germany) German reunification (Deutsche Wiedervereinigung) took place on October 3, 1990, when the areas of the former German Democratic Republic (GDR, in English commonly called East Germany) were incorporated into the Federal Republic of Germany (FRG, in... Treaty of Nice The Treaty of Nice is a treaty adopted in Nice by the European Council to amend the two founding treaties of the European Union: the Treaty on European Union, or Maastricht Treaty, which introduced the Euro and the 3-pillar structure of the EU; the Treaty of... The constitutional treaty as signed in Rome on 29 October 2004 by representatives of the EU member states The Treaty establishing a Constitution for Europe (TCE), commonly referred to as the European Constitution, is an international treaty intended to create a constitution for the European Union. ...

See also: Growth in membership of the European Parliament

The membership of the European Parliament has grown from 78 in 1952 to its current maximum limit of 732. ...

See also

• Members of the European Parliament 2004-2009
• Apportionment in the European Parliament
• Growth in membership of the European Parliament
• Eurocracy board game
• Model European Parliament
• Mundialization
• World citizen
• Sakharov Prize

This is a list giving breakdowns of the European Parliamentary session from 2004 to 2009. ... The apportionment of seats among member states in the European Parliament is not strictly in accordance with size of population. ... The membership of the European Parliament has grown from 78 in 1952 to its current maximum limit of 732. ... Eurocracy is an educational board game simulating the European Parliament, part of the government of the European Union. ... The Model European Communities Project (MECP) is a yearly political simulation organised by the European Schools. ... Mundialization is all the ideas and actions expressing the solidarity of populations of the globe and aiming to establish institutions and supranational laws of a federative structure common to them, while respecting the diversity of cultures and peoples. ... A World Citizen flag. ... The Sakharov Prize for Freedom of Thought, named after Soviet scientist and dissident Andrei Sakharov, was established in December 1985 by the European Parliament as a means to honour individuals or organizations who had dedicated their lives to the defence of human rights and freedoms. ...

External links

• Official web site
• Detailed description of the Parliament's role, written by an MEP specialising in constitutional affairs
• European Parliament Office in Ireland
• UK Office of the European Parliament
• BBC News: European Parliament guide
• DEsite: Info page of the European Parliament
• Rules of Procedure of the European Parliament
• A glossary of European Union terms
• Petition for one seat of the European parliament
• European Parliament European NAvigator
• Europa InSitu - Blog Platform sponsored by the European Parliament where elected Members of the European Parliament and civil servants of EU Institutions can host their own blogs and publish freely and anonimously
• CFSP/PESC at the European Parliament: The presentation of the Eurocorps-Foreign Legion concept at the European Parliament in June 2003

Petition

• http://www.oneseat.eu – "The European Parliament should be located in Brussels – It costs European taxpayers approximately 200 million euros a year to move the Parliament between Brussels/Belgium and Strasbourg/France. As a citizen of the European Union, I want the European Parliament to be located only in Brussels."

Pan-European political organisations
Recognized by the EU as "political parties at European level":
European Democratic Party | EUDemocrats | European Free Alliance | European Green Party | Alliance of Independent Democrats in Europe | Party of the European Left | European Liberal Democrat and Reform Party | Alliance for Europe of the Nations | European People's Party | Party of European Socialists Image File history File links European_flag. ... A European political party, formally a political party at European level, sometimes informally (especially in academic circles) a Europarty, is a type of political party organization operating transnationally in Europe. ... For the eurosceptic informal grouping, see European Democrats. ... EUDemocrats (EUD) is an alliance of parties, movements and political organisations operating as a transnational Party at a European level (European political party), and incorporating members from both the centre-left and the centre-right. ... The European Free Alliance (EFA) is a grouping of various political parties in Europe who believe in either full political independence (statehood), or some form of devolution or self-government for their country or region. ... European Greens (or the European Green Party) is the name of the European Green Party, a political party at European level. ... The Alliance of Independent Democrats in Europe (most commonly represented in French, as Alliance des Démocrates Indépendants en Europe) is an apparent European political party, whose existence is claimed by both itself and by the EUDemocrats[1]. Little, however, is known about the composition of the ADIE or... The European Left party is a political party at European level and an association of socialist and communist political parties in the European Union. ... The European Liberal Democrat and Reform Party (founded in 1993) is a liberal party, active in the European Union, uniting liberal and centrist parties around Europe which together represent more than 20 million European voters and is an international non-profit association incorporated under the laws of Belgium. ... The Alliance for Europe of the Nations is a pan-European political party that gathers nationalist parties from across the continent. ... The European Peoples Party (EPP) is the largest European political party. ... The Party of European Socialists (PES) (French: Parti socialiste européen (PSE); German: Sozialdemokratische Partei Europas (SPE); Spanish: Partido socialista europeo (PSE); Italian: Partito socialista europeo (PSE)) is a European political party whose members are 30 social democratic, socialist and labour parties of the European Union member states as well...
Other pan-European confederations of national political parties:
European Anticapitalist Left | European Christian Political Movement | European Democrat Union | Euronat | European National Front | Nordic Green Left Alliance | Movement for European Reform The European Anti Capitalist Left (EACL) is an informal network for European anticapitalist left wing parties with a certain representativeness. ... The European Christian Political Movement (ECPM) is an European political association for reflection and working on Christian-democratic politics in Europe from an explicit Christian Social view. ... The European Democrat Union is the European wing of the International Democrat Union. ... Euronat (also known as EuroNet and Euro-Nat) is/was an effort by Jean-Marie Le Pen of Front National to gather all the Euronationalist parties of Europe. ... European National Front is a coordinating structure of European far-right nationalist movements. ... The Nordic Green Left Alliance (NGLA) is a green and socialist political party at the European level founded in Reykjavík on February 1, 2004. ... The Movement for European Reform is a pan-European alliance of national political parties founded on 13 July 2006, intended to group forces of the center-right in favour of free market policies and critical of further European integration. ...
Dedicated European-level-only parties:
Europe — Democracy — Esperanto | Europe United | Newropeans Europe — Democracy — Esperanto or E° D° E° (EDE) (in Esperanto: EÅ­ropo — Demokratio — Esperanto) is an electoral list, which participates in the European elections. ... Europe United is an emerging pan-European, pro-European and federalist political party, currently registered in Denmark. ... The Newropeans, founded in 2005, claim to be the first truly pan-european political party (while Europe United makes the same claim). ...
Groups in the European Parliament
EPP–ED (264) | PES (201) | ALDE (89) | Greens–EFA (42) | EUL–NGL (41) | UEN (30) | IND/DEM (28) | N/A (37) Party groups in the European Parliament combine the MEPs from European political parties, informal European political blocs, and independents. ... Composition of the European Parliament as of November 14, 2004 (6th term). ... The European Peoples Party (Christian Democrats) and European Democrats is a group in the European Parliament. ... The Party of European Socialists (PES) (French: Parti socialiste européen (PSE); German: Sozialdemokratische Partei Europas (SPE); Spanish: Partido socialista europeo (PSE); Italian: Partito socialista europeo (PSE)) is a European political party whose members are 30 social democratic, socialist and labour parties of the European Union member states as well... ALDE logo The Alliance of Liberals and Democrats for Europe (French: Alliance des Démocrates et des Libéraux pour lEurope) is a Group in the European Parliament. ... Logo of the European Federation of Green Parties - EFA The European Greens – European Free Alliance (The Greens - European Free Alliance; Greens - EFA; French: Le Groupe Verts - Alliance libre européenne; Les Verts - ALE, German Fraktion der Grünen/Freie Europäische Allianz) is one of the parliamentary groups in the... GUE-NGL logo The European United Left–Nordic Green Left is a socialist and communist political grouping within the European Parliament. ... UEN logo The Union for Europe of the Nations is a nationalist and (mostly) euro-sceptic party grouping with seats in the European Parliament. ... IND/DEM logo The Independence and Democracy (IND/DEM) group, formed July 20, 2004 is a euro-sceptic political group with 36 MEPs in the European Parliament. ... Non-Inscrits (English: Non-Attached; the English name is also official, but the French name is prevalent even in English texts) are Members of the European Parliament who do not sit in one of the political groups. ...
Related articles: table of political parties in Europe by pancontinental organisation, elections in the European Union, party composition of the council The majority of major political parties in Europe have aligned themselves into the pan-European political organisations listed below. ... Elections in the European Union gives information on election and election results in the European Union. ... The member-states of the European Union by the European party affiliations of their leaders, as of April, 2006. ...

Standing Committees of the European Parliament

edit Agriculture and Rural Development | Budgetary Control | Budgets | Civil Liberties, Justice and Home Affairs | Constitutional Affairs | Culture and Education | Development | Economic and Monetary Affairs | Employment and Social Affairs | Environment, Public Health and Food Safety | Fisheries | Foreign Affairs | Industry, Research and Energy | Internal Market and Consumer Protection | International Trade | Legal Affairs | Petitions | Regional Development | Transport and Tourism | Women's Rights and Gender Equality